First Responder Wireless Emergency Alerting with Automatic Callback and Location Triggering

ABSTRACT

Using wireless features, a public service agency is enabled to provide alert information to first responders. An automatic call back from the first responder triggers a voice call launching a location fix on the current location of the first responder. Preferably delivery confirmation that the responder has received the message is received. Once the location fix has been completed, then driving directions with map images are sent to the first responder based on their current location and desired destination for response.

This application claims priority from U.S. Provisional Application No.60/706,050, entitled “First Responder Wireless Emergency Alerting WithAutomatic Callback and Location Triggering”, to Titus and Pohutsky,filed Aug. 8, 2005, the entirety of which is expressly incorporatedherein by reference.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

1. Field of the Invention

This invention relates generally to communications in an emergency. Moreparticularly, it relates to the use of wireless telecommunication suchas short message systems (SMS), prepaid wireless systems, wirelesslocation systems, wireless voice, multimedia systems (MMS) and/orwireless mapping systems for alerting first responders and/or others.

2. Background of the Related Art

Emergency alert systems exist that alert the public of a publicemergency. However, existing technologies have not been successfullyintegrated to provide a complete as possible solution for emergencyalert notification and management of first responders.

In the United States, the Emergency Alert System (EAS) is the primarymeans for providing the public with critical alert information about anemergency or disaster. This Federal Communications Commission(FCC)—mandated system totally replaced the old Emergency BroadcastSystem as of Jan. 1, 1998. Under EAS rules, radio, TV, and cable TVstations must participate at the National level or specifically requesta waiver from the FCC. Further, they are encouraged to voluntarilyparticipate in state and local EAS plans. The National Weather Service(NWS) is also included in the process for using EAS to disseminatecritical emergency weather information to the public and governmentofficials.

The EAS takes advantage of digital technology that will ultimately allowhome devices such as AM and FM radios, TVs, or unique receivers to beturned on and an alarm sounded so the listener can hear the message. Itwill also allow devices serving the hearing and sight impaired toreceive the message. The heart of the system is a special encode/decodedevice sometimes referred to as a “smart box” that all broadcasters hadto have in-place as of January 1997. These “smart boxes” through specialprotocol, talk to each other via multiple radio frequency (RF) paths,which form a web type architecture. As outlined in the State EAS Plan,all “signal originators” will initiate an alert message from one of the“smart box” devices. Through “electronic encoding” of the message, whichthis device accomplishes, the message is generated and sent. Through“electronic decoding” of the message, the message is received and/orrebroadcast for the areas the alert message is targeted.

The original Emergency Broadcast System (EBS), developed in 1963 underthe Kennedy administration, was replaced in 1994 by the Emergency AlertSystem (EAS), developed by the FCC. The EAS expanded the EBS to moreoutlets and allowed more detailed information to be distributed, buteven the EAS relies extensively on television and radio to distributewarnings. FEMA, which manages the EAS, is now teaming with other federalagencies as well as state technology leadership and the private sectorto create an All Alert system. The All Alert system will build on theAmber Alert infrastructure to more efficiently alert the public via awide variety of communication devices, when emergencies occur.

All Alert is anticipated to utilize the digital capabilities of thenation's public television stations and the voluntary participation ofcellular phone service providers, public and commercial radio,television broadcasters, satellite radio, cable and Internet providers,and equipment manufacturers.

One goal of the All Alert system is to adapt the Amber Alert platform toa common messaging infrastructure that will be owned at the federal andstate levels such that when an alert goes out to the public, it will bevery easy for anyone to pick up the message via a variety ofcommunication tools. All Alert is expected to greatly expand the EAS,which today is restricted in how much information it can provide and itsability to supply follow-up instructions, such as where people shouldseek shelter.

While Amber Alert is one specific alert coming from one specific firstresponder group—law enforcement—All Alert is anticipated to includemultiple types of alerts from multiple first responder groups that arethen passed to the public. The All Alert system is expected to makefirst responders' jobs easier because they can get information out tothe community fast. However, neither the All Alert system nor any otherexisting technology has been able to provide a complete solution foremergency alert notification and management not directed to the public,but rather to first responders.

The prior emergency alert systems such as EAS, EBS and All Alert are allbroadcast technologies wherein any or all persons in the public hear thesame generalized information.

There is a need for an emergency alert notification system that isfocused on a particular receiver. There is also a need for methods toalert first responders to emergencies, as well a system and method toprovide the first responders with information relating to the emergencyfor which they are being alerted.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

In accordance with the principles of the present invention, apparatus isprovided to provide alert information to a first responder in anemergency situation, comprising an alerts engine to trigger an alertmessage to at least one first responder. A remote agent communicates thealert message to the first responder via a data message gateway. A firstresponder database stores information for use by the alerts enginerelating to provisions of the first responder.

In accordance with another aspect of the invention, a method forproviding alert information to a first responder in an emergencysituation comprises directing an emergency message to a first responder.The emergency message is relevant to a specific current location of thefirst responder. An automatic call back to a sender of the emergencymessage is initiated. A voice call is triggered from the firstresponder. A location fix on a current location of the first responderis launched.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is a general depiction of a first responder wireless emergencyalerting system according to the present invention.

FIG. 2 shows an exemplary detailed network diagram of the firstresponder wireless emergency alerting system of FIG. 1.

FIG. 3 shows an exemplary message flow passed among the various elementsof FIG. 2, in accordance with one embodiment of the present invention.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF ILLUSTRATIVE EMBODIMENTS

The present invention enables a public service agency to notify andmanage a team of first responders in the event of an emergency. Thepresent invention is independent of mobile operator networks regardlessof wireless network standard GSM, CDMA, TDMA, etc.

Disparate technologies in the field of Internet, wireless voice and datacommunication, and emergency alerting are integrated to uniquelyleverage a wireless intelligent network and application triggers thatenable a public service agency to provide alert information to firstresponders.

FIG. 1 is a general depiction of a first responder wireless emergencyalerting system according to the present invention.

In particular, as shown in FIG. 1, the first responder wirelessemergency alerting system includes an alerts system 102, incommunication with a wireless messaging gateway 106, in turn incommunication with a wireless network 108 servicing a plurality ofwireless devices (e.g., mobile phones 130). The wireless network 108 hasaccess to a location service 104, which provides information concerningthe location of wireless devices 130 to the alerts system 102 for useby, e.g., a public service access point (PSAP) 120.

FIG. 2 shows an exemplary detailed network diagram of the firstresponder wireless emergency alerting system of FIG. 1.

In particular, as shown in FIG. 2, an exemplary alerts system 102includes an alerts engine 210, a responder database 212, a contentmanager 214, and a remote agent 216.

The location service 104 includes a location application 230, e.g., anXYPages™ application commercially available from TeleCommunicationSystems, Inc. of Annapolis, Md. The location service 104 furtherincludes an interactive voice response (IVR) module 236, a locationengine 234, and a Geographic Information System (GIS) 232.

The wireless messaging gateway 106 can be depicted as including awireless messaging gateway application 220 as well as a message router222.

The wireless network 108 can vary greatly. In the exemplary embodiments,the wireless network 108 is depicted as including a mobile operatormessaging hub 240, and one or more mobile operator wirelessinfrastructures 242, each corresponding to its own mobile devices 130 a,130 b, 130 c. To show the breadth of applicability of the presentinvention, a wireless infrastructure is shown supporting CDMA typemobile devices 130 a, GSM type mobile devices 130 b, and TDMA/GSM typemobile devices 130 c, herein referred to collectively in anycombination, including as only a single type device, by reference 130.

The mobile devices 130 of the mobile operator network 108 maycommunicate back with the location service 104 via the public switchedtelephone network (PSTN) 206. Moreover, the PSAP or other emergencyagency preferably communicates with the alerts system 102 via theInternet 202. Other information and/or content sources 204 areaccessible through the Internet 202.

In accordance with the principles of the present invention, the publicservice (e.g., emergency) agency 120 preferably receives positiveacknowledgement that each responder, utilizing respective mobile devices130, has received their emergency alert information. In the disclosedembodiments, a positive acknowledgement is sent using an embeddedcallback number in the alert that initiates an automatic call back(e.g., voice call). Preferably, the automatic call back (e.g., voicecall) is directed to the interactive voice response (IVR) system 136,located, e.g., with the location service 104.

A serving mobile switching center processes execution of an IVR callback event, and triggers a location request. The location requestlaunches a location fix on the current location of the relevant firstresponder being alerted.

Once the location fix has been completed for a given first responderbeing alerted, then location-based information may be sent to that firstresponder 130. In a preferred embodiment, the location-based informationis determined and sent to the relevant first responder 130 as a currentlocation fix for that first responder 130. Though not preferred, thelocation-based information may alternatively be transmitted to the firstresponders 130 after the location of all first responders 130 beingalerted is obtained.

Exemplary location-based information sent to the first responders 130may include, but is certainly not limited to, driving directions and/ora map image relevant to the emergency. For instance, a map between thecurrent location of that particular first responder and the location ofthe incident to which they are responding may be provided, together withdriving directions particular to that first responder to guide them thefastest and/or best route to the emergency destination.

The fastest and/or best route provided to the first responder 130 mayinclude and/or be determined based upon current traffic conditions. Forinstance, traffic may be congested in a region along a most direct routefor the first responder 130 to take to the destination. In such a case,driving directions may instruct and/or direct the first responder 130around such congestion.

The fastest and/or best route may also, or alternatively, direct thefirst responder 130 along a route controlled by street lights for fast,safe passage of the first responder's vehicle. In any event, generallyspeaking, driving directions and/or map image or other relevantlocation-based information may be sent to the first responder based ontheir current location and instigating destination in need of emergencyresponse.

FIG. 3 shows an exemplary message flow passed among the various elementsof FIG. 2, in accordance with one embodiment of the present invention.

In particular, a message flow is depicted by circled numeric references1 through 15, as shown in FIG. 3 and as described herein below.

For example, in step 1 of FIG. 3, the system operator launches a webbrowser to access the alerts system 102 via a secure HTTP session overthe Internet 202. The system operator first provisions a list of mobilefirst responder users 130 and their respective member groups in theresponder database 212. Provisioning information is used to describe theprofile of each individual responder 130. Profile information preferablyincludes, but is not limited to, the following:

-   -   mobile directory number e.g., cell phone number;    -   mobile device type; and    -   Information content type used to trigger an emergency alert        e.g., Homeland Security, National Weather Service, etc.

Information content can be “published” to mobile responders 130 in oneof two methods:

-   -   manually through operator data entry; or    -   automatically through information content received        asynchronously from external sources over a secure Internet        connection (note that this example call flow uses HTTP/S). The        information very preferably can be transferred via several        different communication protocols, e.g., HTTP/S, FTP, SMPP,        SMTP, etc.

In step 2, an external content source 204 sends an information alert(e.g., change in terror alert level) to the content manager 214component of the alerts system 102. The content manager 214 logs theevent into the responder database 212, processes the receivedinformation extracting the payload data, i.e., the actual message to besent to the mobile responder 130, then passes the message onto thealerts engine 210 for further processing and delivery to the mobiledevice 130.

The alerts engine 210 application logic associates the content type(e.g., terrorist alert) with a unique 10 digit phone number thatsubsequently rings on an inbound port on the location service'sInteractive Voice Response (IVR) subsystem 236 (e.g., an XYpagesInteractive Voice Response (IVR) system commercially available fromTeleCommunications Systems, Inc.)

The 10-digit IVR phone number corresponding to content type is thenencoded as a callback number primitive in the destination message thatis ultimately sent to the mobile responder 130. Once the alerts messagecomposition is completed, the alerts engine 210 places the message intothe send queue of the remote agent component 216.

In step 3, the remote agent 216 forwards the message to the WirelessMessaging Gateway (WMG) 220 for final formatting and routing to themobile operator network 108. The remote agent 216 can forward thismessage using any suitable industry standard protocol, e.g., SMTP, SMPP,XML, MM3 or RMI. Regardless of the communications protocol used, theemergency alerts notification message is of type plain text and can befurther encoded to receive delivery receipt confirmation.

In step 4, the WMG 220 forwards the message to the mobile operatormessaging hub 240 or equivalent network element via any suitableindustry standard protocol, e.g., SMTP, SMPP, MM3, MM7, XML, or RMI. Theactual communications protocol used is dependent upon the type ofmessage (e.g., plain text or multimedia) and carrier specific interfaceprovisioning parameters.

In step 5, the mobile operator messaging hub 240 delivers the inboundalerts message to the messaging network element as defined by themessaging routing rules or algorithms set up by each operator. Typicallyplain text messages with character length of <160 characters will besent to a short message service center (SMSC) store and forward.

Alternatively, or additionally, as a result of executing the callback,the emergency agency may preferably receive a positive acknowledgementthat a first responder 130 has responded. In this way, the alertsoperator may be provided with positive confirmation that therecipient(s) successfully received the information alert, as well astheir current location.

In step 6, the SMSC follows the appropriate industry standardspecification (e.g., GSM, TDMA, or CDMA) for delivery of the emergencyalerts message to the destination mobile device 130. After the messageis delivered to the mobile device 130, the end user may open the messageto read the information content. Since a callback number has beenencoded in this alert message, the mobile device 130 can automaticallyinitiate a phone call as a reply to this message. In a preferredembodiment, a ‘one button reply’ may be implemented for the user (e.g.,first responder) of the mobile device 130 to activate at their mobiledevice 130 to initiate the reply phone call.

In step 7, the mobile user invokes a call back number function fromtheir mobile device 130 to originate a phone call that terminates on asuitable application port, e.g., an “XYpages IVR”™ system 236 inboundport corresponding to the alert type (e.g., terrorist level). A calltrigger is set up in the Mobile Switching Centers (MSCs) in the operatornetwork 108 to forward the Origination Request message (e.g., ORREQ inIS-41) to an SS7 point code (i.e., address) corresponding to, e.g., anXYpages™ voice service.

A location query is then initiated. For instance, the networkorigination request message may be used by the location application 230to launch a location query to the network's generic positiondetermination entity (PDE) to determine the actual location (i.e., X, Ycoordinate) of the mobile first responder subscriber 130. This locationquery message conforms to industry standard techniques used in eitherGSM or CDMA wireless networks.

In step 8, once the location query returns the location of the firstresponder, the location application 230 instructs the MSC 108 to forwardto call onto the called party (e.g., terrorist level IVR port). At thispoint in the disclosed embodiment, the first responder user hears apre-recorded announcement corresponding to the appropriate message,e.g., “The terrorist alert level has been raised; please await furtherinformation and instructions that will be sent to your devicemomentarily.”

In step 9, the location application 230 then uses the location of thefirst responder as the starting address input parameter to create, e.g.,driving directions, map, etc. as calculated by the location enginecomponent 234. The location engine component 234 looks up destinationreporting addresses as provisioned by the alerts operator based on thetype of scenario.

For example, in the case of a terrorist alert level, the destinationaddress might correspond to an airport, government building, portauthority, etc. Preferably, public service agency personnel or otheroperators will have provisioned this information in advance. Thelocation engine 234 may generate step by step driving instructionsand/or a map image containing, e.g., destination points of interest, andpreferably the current location of the first responder as a startingpoint.

The location application 230 encodes the calling party identification(i.e., mobile directory number of the mobile responder), date and timestamp of call received, mobile responder current location, drivingdirections and map image into a data structure that is forwarded to thealerts remote agent 216.

In step 10, the alerts remote agent 216 decodes the information receivedby the location application 230 and passes the message on to the alertsengine 210 for processing.

In step 11, the alerts engine 210 processes the information and logs thecall record into the responder database 212 as tracking data. This alsoprovides the alerts operator with positive confirmation that therecipient(s) successfully received the information alert, as well astheir current location.

In step 12, in this scenario, the alerts engine 210 composes the drivingdirections and/or map image into a suitable multimedia message, e.g., inthe MM3 protocol as defined by the 3GPP standards body for MultimediaMessaging System (MMS). The alerts engine 210 then places this messageinto the send queue of the remote agent 216, which then forwards it ontothe WMG 106.

It is important to note that the service is not limited to sending ofmap images only. The alerts engine 210 preferably supports anyMultipurpose Internet Mail Extension (MIME) type attachment that iscapable of being transmitted by the alerts engine 210, e.g., a terroristphoto, an audio sound byte, a video recording, etc.

In step 13, the WMG 106 examines the mobile directory number specifiedin the inbound message and uses the message router 222 to translate thedestination address to the appropriate carrier domain name. In this casethe message type is a multimedia message containing driving directionsand map image.

In step 14, the mobile operator messaging hub 240 delivers the MMSmessage to the messaging network element 108 as defined by the messagingrouting rules or algorithms setup by each operator. In this case themessage will be routed to the appropriate MMSC network element. Shouldthe mobile device 130 not support MMS, then images (e.g., the map image)may be stripped and only plain text sent (e.g., driving instructions).

In step 15, the MMSC follows the appropriate industry standardspecification (e.g., GSM, TDMA, and CDMA) for delivery of the multimediamessage to the destination mobile device 130. After the message isdelivered to the first responder's mobile device 130, the end user isable to open the message to read its information content, thereby endingthe service call flow.

The present invention has particular applicability for use by local,state and federal government agencies.

While the invention has been described with reference to the exemplaryembodiments thereof, those skilled in the art will be able to makevarious modifications to the described embodiments of the inventionwithout departing from the true spirit and scope of the invention.

1. Apparatus to provide alert information to a first responder in anemergency situation, comprising: an alerts engine to trigger an alertmessage to at least one first responder; a remote agent to communicatesaid alert message to said first responder via a data message gateway;and a first responder database to store information for use by saidalerts engine relating to provisions of said first responder. 2-28.(canceled)